Many West Virginians believe in their hearts that no matter where they go, the country roads will bring them home.
The reality is West Virginia’s mountainous terrain can pose risks for drivers and create dangerous, even deadly, driving conditions.
In an effort to identify areas of roads that may put drivers at risk of a deadly collision, Robinette Legal Group PLLC conducted a study to identify the deadliest stretches of road in the state, one of which is in Monongalia County.
Using fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the study identified the top 12 deadliest five-mile stretches across the state based on the number of fatal accidents and number of deaths as a result of accidents from 2000-19.
A section of Interstate 79 in Monongalia County, from Exit 155 — Star City Exit — to the Pennsylvania border, was deemed the 11th deadliest stretch with 17 deadly crashes and 18 deaths over the 20-year period.
The majority of the fatal accidents seen on this stretch of road involved large trucks colliding with smaller vehicles, said Jeff Robinette of Robinette Legal Group, a leading trucking lawyer in West Virginia who has handled many of the fatal accident cases in that area.
Robinette said that stretch of I-79 in particular tends to create a “perfect storm” of factors that can easily lead to accidents. There is typically a large concentration of trucks in the area combined with several on ramps and off ramps, limited shoulder width, lane shifts and often work zones that lead to additional shifts in traffic patterns. All of these things combine to create dangerous crowding situations on the highway.
“You mix all that together and what you come up with eventually is contact,” Robinette said. “Somebody gets hit – and that person spinning out of control ends up in a horrible situation that oftentimes ends in death.”
When all of these conditions are then paired with a distracted driver or someone speeding, the outcome is rarely positive.
While winter weather in the area does result in numerous vehicle accidents and even multi-car pile ups at times, they are typically not severe or deadly accidents due to drivers already being cautious and driving slowly due to road conditions.
Robinette said the majority of fatal accidents seen in West Virginia occur outside of those winter months, with speed playing a big factor in the crashes that result in a death.
The study also broke down the fatal crash data by region and determined the types of roads most likely to see a deadly crash.
Regionally, a portion of U.S. 50 in Harrison County between county route 50/28 and Halls Run Road in Salem, was deemed the deadliest in the north-central region and sixth overall statewide. According to the study, the road saw 19 fatal accidents resulting in 24 deaths.
Interstate 81 in Martinsburg was at the top of the statewide list after 26 deadly accidents and 31 deaths occurred on the road between exits 8 and 13.
One road in particular stood out in the study – a curvy stretch of Interstate 77 in rural Mercer County near Camp Creek. A single mile of the road saw 10 fatal crashes, which is 28 times more than the national average per mile.
The majority of deadly accidents in the state happen on either primary or secondary roadways, the study found. Through the 20-year study period, it was found 72% of all fatal crashes in West Virginia (4,253) happened on primary or secondary roads.
The study defined primary roads as generally divided, limited access highways within the interstate highway system or under state management and are distinguished by the presence of interchanges. Primary roads, like I-79, are typically accessible by ramps and could include tolls.
Secondary roads are main arteries that may or may not be divided and are usually in the U.S., state, or county highway systems, and have one or more lanes of traffic in each direction. They often have both a local name and a route number. Secondary roads, like U.S. 50, are accessed by same-level intersections with other roadways.
While drivers should always drive cautiously and undistracted despite the type of road or its condition, it is beneficial to be aware of areas that are prone to seeing accidents so you can be prepared, patient and alert.
A free copy of the results of the study, including a full list of the top 12 deadly roads statewide with interactive infographics can be accessed at robinettelaw.com under the Blog tab.
